Jeff Toomer

Wanna Be Great? Try Humility (A Book Review)

Apr 08

I recently read C. J. Mahaney’s book Humility: True Greatness. I had heard of his book a couple years ago, immediately downloaded it to my Kindle, and had even scanned the book and used his definition of humility. It wasn’t until last week, however, that I actually read the entire book. Granted, I had good reasons for reading it now, namely, I am preaching through the book of Philippians and this week used the text from Phil 2:1-11, a passage where Paul exhorts the Philippian church to follow Jesus example of humility. Two words: highly recommended!

This book is relatively short and to the point. C. J. is gifted with a very clear writing style. He doesn’t complicate the topic, letting personal and applicable biblical examples show how we all need more humility in our lives. The book’s theme is that to attain true greatness, we not only need Jesus example of humility, we need his death. C. J. expertly proves this by first juxtaposing humility with pride, the sin that Scripture says God opposes (1 Pet 5:5).

The most practical (and my favorite) section of C. J.’s book was his list of suggestions on how to weaken pride and cultivate humility. His list included 28 detailed suggestions. I’ve listed nine of those most impacting to me below:

Reflect often on the wonder of the Cross.
Begin your day acknowledging your dependence on God and your need for God.
As you end your day, transfer any glory you’ve built up that day to God. Go to sleep receiving God’s gift of sleep, reminding yourself that only God never sleeps nor slumbers.
Invite and pursue correction.
Make an effort to learn from everyone, even your enemies; those who oppose you.
Learn the necessity of confession and forgiveness; repent quickly and thoroughly.
Identify evidences of grace in other people.
Laugh often, and laugh often at yourself.
Respond humbly to trials.

This book – this topic – should be required reading for every Jesus follower. A much needed message to the body and a character trait that we all could stand to exhibit more of.

Are you In Sync?

Mar 15

A few weeks ago I heard the account of a young girl who tried out for American Idol. She actually believed herself to have a decent voice, but on the day of her audition in front of the Idol judges, after singing her first note she immediately stopped herself, noticing that her voice was grossly out of tune. She attempted to sing a couple more times but never could find the note she wanted to begin her song. Opportunity lost; dream gone.

I don’t know about you, but I can identify with this. A lot of times we go through life assuming that we’re “singing the right note” only to find out we’re way off key, completely out of sync with the “music and rhythm of life.”

In the creation account, God reveals a rhythm and order, of sorts, in the Garden of Eden that many of us ignore as simple prose. God makes the heavens and earth in six days and on the seventh day, he rests. Interestingly, as each day of creation unfolds, the Bible uses this phrase, “and there was evening and there was morning, the first day” (Gen 1:5) and so on. We see this phrase repeated in the successive days of creation. And after everything had been made, God rested (Gen 2:1-3).

Although God gives man the dominion mandate and the command to be fruitful and multiply during the sixth day of creation (Gen 1:28), it wasn’t until after God established the importance of rest, that He purposed man to go to work (Gen 2:15).

Truth is, we often build our lives from the perspective of “go to work” then “rest.” The day begins as we wake up. We give all our energy to those things we do during the day in an effort to be productive. And the day finishes as we lay our head on our pillow to rest. What if the rhythm revealed in the Garden during creation is the actual opposite. What if God’s rhythm is rest, then work?

Genesis clearly reveals that God expects man to work. John 15:5 exhorts us that unless we abide in Jesus, and He in us, our work won’t be fruitful. So unlike what many of us experience in life, the impetus for work should flow from a place of rest, rooted in our relationship to Christ.

Is there a nuance here? What if there was more to God’s rhythm and order in the Garden of Eden than we’ve paid attention to? What if the more appropriate way for us to view our day begins with the evening? What if, like in creation, the evening of our lives were considered the start of our day; the most important part of our day? Most importantly, what if the best way to work; to be fruitful and productive is from a posture of rest?

I’m convinced that many of us (me included) are out of sync; not in step with God and His rhythm. Many of us don’t even know how to rest. This feels counter-intuitive, but our most productive selves flow from rest and abiding in the presence of Jesus.

What could this mean for you? Are you in sync?

A Day to Give Thanks

Nov 22

The Thanksgiving holiday ushers in my favorite season of the year. Here in Northern Virginia the beauty of fall is still on display, as nature prepares to hibernate for the winter months to come. I love the slight chill in the air; the opportunities to light a fire in the fireplace; the seasonal beverages that many of us only drink around this time (my favorite: pumpkin-spice latte!); and the reminders of God’s provision as we eat the fruit of our labor on Thanksgiving Day.

More than anything, Thanksgiving serves to remind us that we have much to be thankful for.

Laryssa and I are thankful for the many people who continue to pray for our family and for our journey of planting theTransit. We are thankful for all of you who have partnered with us financially to sow seeds of the gospel here in DC metro region. We are personally thankful for those families and individuals who are endeavoring to pioneer with us.

Paul exhorted the believers in Thessalonica, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, ESV)

Praying that you will have reason to both rejoice and be thankful today and throughout the coming holiday season.

Blessings,
Jeff & Laryssa

mPACT Conference, Day 2

Nov 17

Day 2 of my summary notes from the inaugural mPACT Conference are below. The conference was held at Manna Church in Fayetteville, NC.

Pastors Breakout: “The Morphing Church”
Led by Pastor Michael Fletcher

There is more info being exchanged today that ever before.
Things are changing faster; everything is changing.
Example: Even in the poorest countries, people have cell phones.
More people in the world have a cell phone than can read. (87%; only 82% can read)
Revolutions were once started by causes and direct action leading to death; now they are started by social media.
Mega stores like Walmart / Target and “all their stuff”: hard to compete with these companies. Other side of the spectrum are specialty stores (Trader Joes, Saks 5th Avenue, etc.; people also flock to stores like these.) Department stores and companies in middle, however, are now getting over looked.
In church world: attractional model; missional model; micro church church model…all are working.
What to make of this: you have to be willing to change because society is changing; education is changing; everything is changing.

How to navigate:

1. Hold on to vision. It is the “what” that you have from God.
2. Include others in the process (the “how”)

Spend as much time discussing what you plan and need to do as you spend doing it.
The message must be the same (communicate it more creatively)
Models – they are morphing.
Methods – they will have to change (if you plan to grow or stay even)

3. Lean young: build with young people (build the structure younger); train young; learn young (technological natives and techno immigrants)

There is a place for those who are older. There is always a place for the old guy who listens to the young guy.

4. Run from the religious
5. Key traits to reach the generation

Builder Generation: hard work (if you’re old, you’re respected)
Boomer: creativity (if you’re old, you’re out)
Generation Next: community and cool (if you’re old, you’re not cool)
Millenials: cause driven/community oriented; honesty (true), authenticity (real)(age doesn’t matter)

6. Interface with society (3 key attitudes)

No seclusion; stand up and stand out (Tebow example)
Giving back is now a “responsibility” (if the church is not involved in this, we are irrelevant)
Social justice is the gospel in action

7. Cluster and learn (spiritual family; ask for help; stay connected to like minded people; embrace humility; be willing to change; be willing to build relationships with brothers)

Continuation of 5 Ways Leaders Serve:

4. Values results and relationships

Great leaders do both;
Two tests of a leader: getting results and having followers.
Leaders must provide both challenge and support.
Treutt Cathy (Chick-Fil-A Founder) mantra: perfection is expected; excellence is tolerated.
Relationship imperatives: listen; invest time; care deeply; accentuate the positive

How much emphasis do you place on getting results?
How many of your people would you say that have made a significant investment in their lives.

5. Embody the values “Integrity”

Integrity means through and through; means walk matches talk; inside matches outside
Socrates: “the true journey in all of life is to be in reality who you appear to be.”
Problem in leadership: “veneer” looks good, but below the surface you find particle board. Real wood: if drilled through will be wood “through and through.”
How to get there…
Know Your Values: to embody values you have to know what they are.
Values: beliefs that drive your behavior.
Not enough to know them: only living values matter
Share your values. How well do others know them?
Live your values (some things are better caught an taught).

What are your core values?
How well are you living your organizations core values?

Mark Conklin presented these points, but can be found in the book, The Secret, by Ken Blanchard and Mark Miller.

We can release our own potential when we do these 5 things! They are true of very famous and influential people; but also can be true of you.

MPACT Conference, Day 1

Nov 16

mPACT is a mentoring movement united to: PLANT, ASSESS, COACH, and TRAIN leaders for maximum impact. I was privileged to attend this inaugural gathering of mPACT leaders. Guest speaker was Mark Conklin, Sr. Manager, Organizational Effectiveness at Chick-Fil-A. The conference took place at Manna Church in Fayetteville, NC. My summary notes from Day 1 are below.

- Everything rises and falls on leadership
- Definition of leadership: the ability to move people from where the are to where you want/need them to be.

Five Practices of Great Leaders
1. See and shape the future. “Vision”
- This is about vision; we can’t shape what we can’t see
- Where there is no vision, people perish. Is the opposite also true? Yes!
- Bill Hybels on vison: A preferred vision of the future that creates passion in you.
- check out Mark Miller’s BLOG: http://greatleadersserve.org/

What is your vision; your preferred picture of the future?

2: Engage and develop others. “People”
- He that thinks he leads but has no one following in is only taking a walk.
- What does an engaged employee look like? It’s a person that “all in.”
- Leaders call greatness out of others.
- Head, heart, hands: with every set of hands, you also get a free head and heart. Give people a vision that gets all of them. More than compliance or blind following.
- Develop: to bring out the capabilities or possibilities of another.
- People aren’t always the greatest asset. You have to have the right people for the right job.
- People and talent are two different things. Talent matters. Sometimes you must leave a vacancy in your organization rather than fill it with the wrong person.
- Best quality of a leader: an ability to conduct a brutally honest self-assessment of where they are and how they are doing.

How can you foster an environment that engages people fully?

3. Reinvent Continuously. “Self, Systems, Structure”
- Hope is not a strategy! If you’re stagnant, you are actually moving backward. The church (and businesses) are intended to move forward. When they don’t, it’s usually from a lack of reinventing self, systems or structure.
- “Where is the puck headed?” (Wayne Gretzky’s response to question about his ability to skate so effectively). i.e., where is your vision taking you? Look and move there, not where the “puck” currently is.
- Ideas/Questions to stir reinvention: Where is the growth in your community? Where is the demographic change in your town? Which people are truly carrying your community? ..and what does it mean for you?

How do I need to reinvent personally to make progress towards the vision?

More tomorrow!